New Film Explores Wonder Woman's Origins In BDSM And Feminist Kink

Wonder Woman is one of DC Comic's most iconic heroes. She's more popular than ever after the record-smashing success of this year's Wonder Woman movie. But not many people know about the character's origins in BDSM and kink.

A new film by director Angela Robinson, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, hopes to change that.

(Photo: Movieclips)

The sex-positive origins of Wonder Woman

If you've ever picked up any of the early edition comics, their raunchiness might come as a surprise. There's spanking, sadomasochism, bondage and double entendres galore.

The origins of these unorthodox comics can be traced to their creator, psychologist William Moulton Marston, who combined an interest in bondage and submission with feminist principles. In addition to his sex-positive ideals, he believed that women were superior to men and should rule the world.

The comics were created with the help of his wife, Elizabeth Holloway (who came up with the iconic quip, "Suffering Saffo") and his former student Olive Bryne. The three were in a polyamorous relationship and had four children together.

Robinson's new film aims to explore the dynamics between the Marstons and Olive Byrne, and shed light on the enormous influence the women in William Marston's life had on his work. In exploring the sex-positive origins of the Wonder Woman comics, Robinson will touch on the topics of polyamory, bisexuality and feminism, as they were viewed in 1940s America.

(Photo: Movieclips)

The film has a stellar cast and team behind it. Angela Robinson, the film's director, was behind one of the top queer cult classics of the noughties, D.E.B.S. She's also been a writer on The L Word and True Blood. Transparent creator, Jill Soloway, is producing the film, which will star Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, and Luke Evans.